Hidden within the fire-colored crystal hanging around Kiana Kaslana's neck, lay an extraordinary realm.
It was a world that defied common sense.
Vast landscapes stretched beneath an endless sky, while enormous mechanical fortresses occupied the land and air.
Caucasuskabuto Castle.
DekaBase.
Giga Bragigas.
Battle Orion Ship.
Magma Base.
Turbo Builder.
And Zyudenryu Bragigas.
These were no ordinary machines. Each was a mighty fortress, a technological marvel, or a legendary entity in its own right.
Yet, despite their incredible size, they were all contained within this seemingly insignificant crystal necklace.
And this was only a glimpse of what lay within.
For this world was not merely a space stored inside Kiana's crystal.
It was also the depths of Kouga Hayata's very soul.
Within Caucasuskabuto Castle 's Royal Bedroom
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows of a spacious royal bedroom, illuminating its elegant furnishings and luxurious bed.
Beneath the covers, a woman stirred.
She was tall and beautiful, with long red hair arranged in a somewhat messy, wavy updo. Her parted bangs framed a face that retained its beauty even after waking from sleep.
The woman slowly opened her eyes.
Himeko: "Mmm…"
She stretched both arms above her head, allowing herself a few moments of comfort before finally sitting up.
She was wearing only her underwear and a loose white shirt that covered her upper body, with just one button fastened.
After yawning and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Himeko climbed out of bed and made her way toward the dining room.
The delicious aroma of freshly prepared food greeted her almost immediately.
A traditional Japanese-style breakfast had been arranged neatly on the dining table.
Steaming rice. Miso soup. Grilled fish. Tamagoyaki. Pickled vegetables. Several small side dishes, each prepared with care.
Everything looked delicious.
And, judging by the aroma, it tasted even better.
Himeko's eyes brightened.
Himeko: "Oh, now this is what I call a proper breakfast!"
She sat down and immediately began eating.
The first bite was enough to make her expression soften with satisfaction. The fish was perfectly grilled, the rice was warm and fluffy, and the miso soup had just the right depth of flavor.
Himeko: "Mmm! Every meal Kouga makes is good!"
Across from her stood Kouga Hayata, His hair was golden, and his eyes were mismatched—one red, the other blue. Despite his unusual appearance, his familiar presence remained unmistakable.
Kouga glanced at the dishes, then at Himeko, who seemed completely absorbed in her breakfast.
Kouga: "Finish your breakfast and get dressed already."
He turned toward the exit.
Kouga: "I'm heading out."
Himeko lifted a hand in acknowledgment without taking her attention away from the food.
Himeko: "Mm-hmm! Just give me a minute!"
Kouga gave her a brief look, apparently deciding that arguing would accomplish nothing, before leaving the dining room.
Himeko simply continued enjoying her breakfast.
After all, a delicious meal deserved her full attention.
And considering who had cooked it, she had absolutely no intention of wasting a single bite.
Some time later, Himeko finally emerged from her bedroom, fully dressed.
She wore a crimson coat over a white-and-black shirt, complemented by black gloves, black shorts, gray thigh-high stockings, and sturdy black boots.
She adjusted her coat and stepped outside.
Then she stopped.
For several seconds, Himeko simply stared.
Before her stretched an enormous landscape filled with mechanical fortresses and extraordinary structures. A gigantic base stood in the distance, while another fortress hovered above the ground. Farther away, massive mechanical beings and creatures moved across the landscape, and strange silhouettes soared through the sky.
The entire place looked like a world assembled from the dreams of a science-fiction enthusiast.
Except it was real.
Or, at least, real enough for Himeko to stand there and gape at it.
Himeko: "Seriously, how much stuff does that guy have?"
She folded her arms and considered the situation.
She was inside Kiana's crystal necklace—or, more accurately, within Kouga's soul.
And somehow, there were entire fortresses, legendary machines, and many strange things
Himeko: "You know what? At this point, I shouldn't even be surprised anymore."
With that, she began walking toward the enormous fortress she had spotted earlier.
DekaBase.
If Kouga was somewhere in this absurdly oversized collection of wonders, that was as good a place as any to start looking.
The interior of DekaBase was just as impressive as its exterior.
Its corridors were spacious, its walls lined with sophisticated equipment, and its numerous screens displayed information that Himeko could barely begin to understand.
She followed the signs toward the central laboratory, guided by the distant sounds of machinery and conversation.
Eventually, she arrived at a large room filled with computer terminals and holographic displays.
And there, standing in front of a massive screen, was Kouga.
Beside him stood another figure.
At first glance, the stranger looked almost identical to Kouga. However, his presence was distinctly different. His appearance carried a darker, more unsettling quality, as though he were the reflection of Kouga's soul cast in shadow.
Yami.
Kouga's inner darkness.
The two were deeply engrossed in their work, discussing various technical details while manipulating holographic displays.
Himeko approached them curiously.
Himeko: "Hey, Kouga! What are you two—"
She stopped.
Her eyes settled on the massive screen.
A detailed image of a woman's naked body was displayed across it.
The woman had red hair.
The proportions were familiar.
The figure was unmistakably hers.
Himeko stared.
Once.
Twice.
Then her expression changed.
Himeko: "…WHAT?!"
BAM! BAM!
Without a moment's hesitation, Himeko marched forward and delivered a sharp smack to the back of both Kouga's and Yami's heads.
Kouga: "!!!"
Yami: "Tch!"
It's doesn't hurt, just suprise them a bit.
Himeko stood before them with her hands on her hips, her expression radiating pure disbelief.
Himeko: "Kouga! What exactly are you doing?!"
Kouga blinked at her.
Then he glanced at the screen.
Then back at Himeko.
Kouga: "Making a body for you."
Himeko's anger faltered slightly.
Himeko: "…A body?"
Kouga: "Sooner or later, we'll have to leave the crystal necklace. So I'm working on creating new bodies for both you and me."
He gestured toward the screen as if the explanation should have been perfectly obvious.
Kouga: "I need to get the physical structure right before I can move on to the next stage."
Himeko stared at him for another moment.
Then she slowly lowered her hands.
Himeko: "Oh."
A brief silence followed.
Himeko: "…You could've explained that before putting my naked body on a giant screen!"
Kouga: "It's a technical model, Himeko. I'm studying the body's structure, not making a painting."
Yami: "He's been staring at those measurements for hours."
Kouga shot his darker counterpart an irritated look.
Kouga: "You're not helping."
Yami merely shrugged.
Himeko sighed and rubbed her forehead.
Himeko: "Fine. I'll let you off the hook for now. But give me a warning next time!"
Kouga: "Sure."
His answer came so quickly that Himeko narrowed her eyes, clearly wondering whether she should believe him.
Before she could question him further, Kouga changed the display.
The image of Himeko disappeared, replaced by a new anatomical model.
This time, it was Kouga's own body.
Himeko leaned closer to examine the screen.
Her eyebrows gradually rose.
The model depicted an exceptionally muscular physique, with six clearly defined abdominal muscles and a broad, powerful frame. Yet the proportions were not exaggerated to the point of looking unnatural. Instead, the body possessed the appearance of a sleeper build.
Himeko let out an impressed whistle.
Himeko: "Whooo. Not bad."
She glanced at Kouga, then back at the screen.
Himeko: "So, what's this one for? Planning to enter a bodybuilding competition?"
Kouga: "I'm making a stronger body for myself."
He adjusted several parameters on the holographic display.
Kouga: "The current one has its limits. I want a body that can withstand more punishment and let me unleash more of my power without destroying itself in the process."
His tone became more serious as he continued explaining.
Kouga: "Raw power isn't enough. The body has to endure the strain, too. Otherwise, I'd just be damaging myself every time I use some of my stronger powers."
Himeko nodded thoughtfully.
Himeko: "That makes sense. Even someone like you needs a body that can keep up with his own power."
She folded her arms.
Himeko: "So, how long will this take?"
Kouga: "A long time."
Himeko's eyebrows rose.
Himeko: "A long time? How long are we talking about?"
Kouga: "I don't know yet. I need to perfect the design first. I can't just use my powers and magically make a perfect body appear."
He continued manipulating the holographic controls, examining the displayed measurements and adjusting various parameters.
Kouga: "If I get something wrong, the entire thing could be useless. Or worse, it could fail when I actually need it."
Himeko hummed in understanding.
Himeko: "Fair enough. I suppose even you can't cheat your way through everything."
Yami: "He can cheat his way through everything, but he just want to make it perfect."
Kouga: "Yami."
Yami: "What? It's true."
Himeko chuckled.
Then her attention drifted back toward the screen.
More specifically, toward the lower portion of the anatomical model.
She stared a little longer.
Then leaned slightly closer.
Kouga's hands abruptly stopped moving.
He slowly turned his head toward her.
His expression was becoming increasingly irritated.
Kouga: "…Do you mind?"
Himeko froze.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
Then she immediately straightened up and raised both hands in surrender.
Himeko: "Okay, okay! I'm not looking!"
Kouga promptly closed the display.
The screen went dark.
Kouga: "Good."
Himeko gave him an awkward smile.
Himeko: "Well, I'll leave you two geniuses to your work, then."
She began backing toward the door, her hands still raised.
Himeko: "Just remember to tell me when my new body's ready!"
Kouga: "I'll let you know."
Himeko: "Great! Keep up the good work!"
With that, Himeko turned around and walked out of the laboratory.